The Biology of Senescence

Bernard Swynghedauw is a former Research Director of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Paris, France. In 1974 he became a laboratory director at INSERM and, from 1992 to 1999, served as director of the special course for postgraduate cardiologists and pneumonologists "Biologie et Physiologie de la Circulation et de la Respiration." He currently teaches a course on Cardiovascular Geriatrics at Bicêtre Hospital in Paris. He has won a number of prestigious awards (CEDUS in 1996; Peter Debye in 1994, University of Maastricht, NL; Drieux-Cholet in 1996, Académie de Médecine Paris), and is a corresponding member of the French Académie de Médecine, of the Academia Europeae, former member of the Executive Committee of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), and Past-President of the Federation of European Physiological Societies (FEPS). He has authored several books and numerous articles in prominent international journals.

1. Introduction.- 2. The emerging medical landscape.- 3. Origins of ageing.- 4. The senescent cell.- 5. « Benign » clinical manifestations and their relationships with the senescent cell.- 6. Age-linked non transmissible diseases.- 7. The senescent cardiovascular system.- 8. « To treat» or prevent ageing.- 9. Senescence and darwinian evolution.- 10. Conclusions.- 11. Summary.- 12. Annexes.- 13. References.